


A Loyal Friend

by Setsuna24



Series: Of Family, Friends and Lovers [3]
Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-15 19:51:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3459818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Setsuna24/pseuds/Setsuna24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akihito is loyal to his friends and would do anything for them. But how loyal are they to him and to each other? What would they be willing to do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Friend That Gives Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Hello! This is just a short one to get into the swing of things again. Video-calls is going rather slow because I keep getting interrupted by the little one and she takes up most of m time, also there is life which takes some time as well. I am thinking but am not married to de idea of making a part 2 for this oneshot from Aki's POV but I am not sure if I want to just yet. Let me know your opinion on that.
> 
> Betaed by the great fifteenfeb
> 
> I own nothing.

Akihito relaxed with his friends as he took a swig of his beer and let out a content sigh. He was so glad to be here. It has been a long time since he had the time to hang out with Kou and Takato. Between his job and Asami, his plate was just too full and he had been feeling pretty guilty about not being able to see his friends for over two months.

As if attuned to his innermost thoughts, Kou felt the need to express his feelings on the matter.

"You know Aki, I'm really happy you were able to come tonight. I really missed you." Akihito, being somehow oblivious to any other meanings behind those words, just smiled at him and answered, "I missed you guys too!" Then proceeded to throw his arms around both Kou and Takato in a friendly hug.

Kou smiled at him and let out a quiet sigh when he was sure Akihito was not watching. From the other side of the happy photographer, Takato watched his dark-haired friend with sad concern that was quickly hidden behind a smile.

"What do you guys say to a game of Beyond War? I've been wanting to play this video game since it came out and I was so excited to find out Kou had bought it! I want to lead the battalion though cause you guys suck at strategy."

"Look who's talking. You suck almost as much as we do." Said Takato with false indignation while Kou was just content to smile and say "Sure thing, Aki."

Two hours later, the small living room was filled with shouts of commands, laughs, 'take that's, and a large amount of empty bags of chips, cans of cheap beer and pocky boxes. Even to the neighbours, it sounded like a really good time. They ended up losing the game but it had been fun so the three were perfectly content to just have played together. Hopefully they could meet again some time soon and develop a better strategy for winning.

The pizza Takato had ordered some time during their game had just arrived and with fresh beers, they sat on the floor before a low table and ate while talking about the new events in their lives. Akihito smiled and laughed as he recounted his latest escapades and Kou watched him with concealed suspicion.

He leaned his dark head against Akihito's shoulder and patted him on the back when he made a particularly funny comment. Akihito in turn seemed unaware of the constant physical contact from his friend. He was too used to such things from Kou to think more about it. There was something wrong with Akihito today, despite how much he tried to hide it behind jokes and smiles. All Kou could do for his friend was to offer him comfort the same way he had done for years, with small touches and subtle caresses that would never be mistaken as anything but friendly.

It was two hours later when their animated conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Akihito was much too drunk to get up from his position on the couch and open the door so Takato made the move to answer the door and left his two friends to continue their discussion.

From his position at the door, Takato gazed between his friends and the bespectacled man standing at the other side of the wooden frame.

Silently, he walked out of the apartment and closed the door behind him. Kirishima watched him in curiosity and lifted an eyebrow in inquiry.

"He seems to be upset about something. Akihito is trying too hard to appear happy and that nothing weighs on him. Did something happen between them?"

'Between them' those words made Kirishima curious. Why not say 'her'? It made him wonder if Akihito's friends were already aware about the boy's relationship with Asami. Maybe Takaba's friends were not as oblivious as he thought.

"Nothing of much importance, it should be resolved soon." Kirishima answered.

With a nod, Takato turned to open the door and walked to the living room calling out to his friend.

"Aki, the glasses guy that works for your girlfriend is here to collect you."

"Oh, come on! Can't I have a freaking night with my friends without being fetched like a little kid?" He stomped to the door and glared daggers at the secretary. "What do you want Kirishima? I'm busy."

"Your presence is required."

"No."

"You have no choice. Either you come willingly or I will throw you over my shoulder and take you forcefully, kicking and screaming like the child you swear you're not."

"That fucking bastard! He told you to do that, didn't he?" Kirishima remained quiet, a statement of agreement in itself. "Guys, I'm sorry to do this to you but I'm going to have to leave. I promise I'll stay over some other time."

"It's okay Aki, we understand." Said Takato as he accompanied his blond friend to the door.

The wooden door closed behind Akihito and Takato turned to walk into the living room once more. Kou sat on the couch, his knees pressed to his chest, his arms around his legs and his face lowered as his forehead presses to his knees, hidden from view.

At the sound of a sob, Takato hastened his steps and kneeled on the floor beside his friend. Slowly and tenderly, he removed Kou's arms from around his legs and lifted his face to see it tear-stained and broken in sorrow.

He pulled Kou to himself and sat him on his lap. Kou circled Takato's neck with his arms and hid his face in the crook of his friend's neck. He sobbed and let his sorrow flow from his heart and soul.

"Kou, it's okay. I'm here for you. Please don't cry anymore." Takato lifted Kou's chin to make his friend look him in the eye and leaned forward to kiss his lips tenderly. Between each kiss he repeated the words "It's okay, I'm here for you." and slowly the sobs began to lessen.

They sat in silence holding each other, Kou on Takato's lap with his ear to his friend's larger chest listening to his heartbeat. Takato's voice broke the silence with a softly spoken question.

"Kou, are you ever going to tell him? If it hurts you so much every time he goes back to that man, at least tell him of your feelings. Wounds of the heart can't heal if they are not addressed."

"I can't tell him, you know that. If I could, I would have done so years ago when I still had a chance. Now, he is with that dangerous man and there is nothing I can do about it. Nothing but give him my affection and support whenever he needs it. Nothing but being his friend and always supporting him, always to be there when his lover makes him cry or angry. I'm destined to pick up the pieces forever."

"Don't say such things Kou, you'll only make yourself miserable. First and foremost, remember that we are his friends and as such it is what we should do. Don't think about it as if you have been condemned to it, it is our duty as his closest friends. I do understand how you feel but you have to move past it. I know it is hard to fall out of love but he is happy and you will never be happy unless you choose to move on."

"I am trying, I swear I'm trying Takato. But it is so hard to not love him."

"I know."

"Please, even if for one night, help me forget this pain."

"Of course, I will always be here for you." Takato laid more kisses on Kou's lips and leaned forward to lay him on the floor before him. Gently, he took Kou's clothes off as he kissed him and prepared him with care before taking him on the cold surface.

Sweaty and exhausted, they laid in each other's arms. Kou's head rested on Takato's chest and once again listened to his heartbeat, using it to drown his sorrow. The silence between them was broken this time by Kou's question.

"Takato, what do you think your wife would say if she found out about this?"

"She knows."

Kou shot up from his position on Takato's arms in a panic to look into his friend's eyes.

"Since when?!"

"She knew even before she married me. She has always known, has known for years. I don't know how she figured it out while we were still dating but she told me to be there for you. To be whatever you needed, I am your friend Kou, know that I will always be here for you. To be what you need when you need it."

Silent tears fell from Kou's eyes as he looked into Takato's and leaned to capture his lips in a kiss of pure gratitude.

"Thank you." He said and rested his head on Takato's chest once more.

"You have nothing to thank me for, this is what friends are for."


	2. Under The Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kou spends some time thinking, Takato gives him comfort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I’m feeling much better, still my head and throat bother me but not as much as they had been doing it a couple of days ago. The little one is finally letting me sleep which is helping with getting better from my cold. Lately I’ve been very into Dexter, don’t know why but I must say I like that sociopath. Anyways…. There are lots of oneshots I’m working on so they might come in between updates from my update list or at the end of the update cycle which means it will take a while before I begin the cycle again and you see an update from my regular fics.
> 
> This chapter has no Aki in it. *runs and hides in fear of raging fans* It is only Takato and Kou but it is still a nice chapter I think. Next chapter will have Aki again and will have more romantic feelings and such.
> 
> Thanks to my awesome beta fifteenfeb for getting this betaed for me and helping me out whenever I’m stocked or need fresh ideas.
> 
> I own nothing

A Loyal Friend Chapter 2

It had been a long time since that gaming party at his apartment. He wondered if Akihito was safe. For how long would he have to endure not knowing what had happen to his friend? When will Akihito realize how much he made him and Takato worry? How he wanted to see him and hear his voice.

Kou sat alone on a stone bench at a park he liked to go to. It always helped him think when he was surrounded by nothing but nature and today he had plenty to think about. The spot he was at was secluded from the areas where people usually go and hid a beautiful sight not many were aware of. The pond before him was serene as the clear surface of a mirror and as such reflected the blues and white of the sky above. The willow he was sitting under provided shade and its curtains of leaves swayed swiftly in the warm breeze. Birds sang in an uninterrupted choir of song amalgamations and the cacophony of their sounds was witness to the lack of human presence in this secluded area. It all seemed so undisturbed, so opposite to the feelings and thoughts swirling about inside him. For a very long time, Kou had been hoping the serenity of this place would one day seep into him and make him find some semblance of peace for his troubling heart.

In the horizon, the sun began to set. Kou had no idea how many hours he had been sitting here alone and quiet, considering he had arrived early afternoon, he could make an approximate guess.

As the last rays of the sun reached the glistening surface of the pond, only occasionally disturbed by a fish searching the surface for the unsuspecting meal, the light sparkled over the water like millions of diamonds and soft steps over the grass announcing the arrival of company.

“So this is where you disappeared to.” Said a voice from behind him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were looking for me. My phone died several hours ago, I hope I didn’t make you look for me too long.”

“Nah, when I called several times and you didn’t answer, I went to look for you at your place. When I did not find you there, I knew I would find you here. How long have you been sitting here anyways?”

“Somewhere around five or six hours. I had a lot on my mind.”

With a sigh, Takato walked the remaining distance to the stone bench and Kou moved to the side to give him space to sit.

“Honestly Kou, this is such a bad way to spend your day off. I admit the view is amazing, especially in a place such as Tokyo, but honestly sitting all alone for hours can’t be good for anyone. Why didn’t you just call me? You know I would have come to keep you company.”

“I know Takato, but I feel bad for keeping you away from your family on a Sunday.”

“I told you not to worry about such things. What were you thinking about that has you in such a brooding mood, anyways?” He asked even though he had a good idea.

Silence grew between them making the sound of the birds and the wind seem twice as loud. Takato knew not to press for information; Kou would tell him when he had put his thoughts in order. Kou was grateful for his friend’s quiet support; Takato was like a rock to him, unmoving and strong, capable of sustaining him when he could no longer stand on his own, and solid and real when all seemed like a nightmare. After several minutes of quiet contemplation, Kou opened his mouth to talk but closed it before words escaped, Takato waited until words finally came.

“Do you think things would be different if I had told him back when I realized my feelings? If I had not been such a coward, I would not have to be feeling this way now. It tears my heart every time I see him but when I don’t, it’s like my soul is missing from my body. Every time he disappears for months and doesn’t contact us, I fear that he will not come back and my life will end with his absence. What should I do, Takato? How do I deal with this constant worry and pain?”

Takato circled his friend’s shoulders with his arm and drew him close.

“I don’t know how things could have been Kou, no one does. It does no good to dwell in ‘what if’s and ‘could have been’s, all we can do is work on right here and right now. You were not a coward and have never been one, being afraid of rejection is something natural and doesn’t make you a lesser man. But you need to move pass this. He is happy Kou, even if he gets angry and cries some times, he is still happy and we need to be happy for him.”

“How can you ask me to be happy for him when all I want is for him to be happy with me? I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

“I know it’s hard Kou, but I want you to be happy too. As long as you are hung up on Aki, you won’t find someone to fill the void in your life. Someone to love you and only you, someone who won’t have eyes for another.”

“I don’t need anyone else Takato, I need him. Besides, I got you right now, don’t I?” Kou said trying to lighten the mood.

“You do but one day Kou, you will realize I am no longer enough.”

Silence engulfed them again; they were used to them by now, those silences that peppered their encounters.

“Do you think one day I will fall out of love?”

“I do.”

“It’s so hard not to love him.”

“I know but you have to remember that right now he is your friend. Right now, that is how you should love him because any other love would bring you nothing but pain.”

Takato stood from the bench and walked a few steps away, he turned around and addressed Kou with a small smile on his face. “Let’s go, after three and a half months of silence or MIA friend has given sings of life and asked for us to meet him at the bar. I bet he has a lot of lies to tell. They will be amusing, don’t you think?” Said Takato.

“Yes, I bet they will. Honestly, how dumb does he think we are?”

Kou walked toward Takato, they had yet to leave the canopy of leaves and remained hidden within it. Takato took his hand and pulled him close until their bodies were pressed against each other.

“It will be alright.” He said “I’m here now.”

Takato pressed tender kisses onto Kou’s lips then pressed their foreheads together and looked into his eyes. When Kou gave him a small smile, he knew it was time to leave their secluded sanctuary and go meet Akihito at their usual bar.

They walked hand in hand out of the park, hidden by the darkness of night and soothed by its comfortable silence.

When they reached the illuminated stone paths, their hands let go of each other. It was a short walk to Takato’s car, too short to waste it with small talk. The drive to the bar was short too but to Kou, it seemed to drag on forever. Halfway to the bar he noticed something, as he looked at Takato under the moonlight filtering through the windshield of the car. He had never noticed before how much his friend had changed, noticed the small marks at the corner of his eyes. Takato looked tired but his semblance was still projecting quiet strength and care. In the moonlight, he saw something else he found unexpected. For the first time, he realized the sparkle in those dark eyes and the smooth curve of lips.

 _‘Beautiful’_ crossed his mind, and had no clue where that thought had come from. For years he had known the man, who was his friend and the one who offered him solace in his moments of loneliness and pain, was handsome in his own way. But this was the first time he had seen Takato as beautiful, his heart jumped slightly in his chest and he worried that he was just making things more complicated than they already were.

“We are here.” Takato said, pulling Kou out of his reverie. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Just a bit overwhelmed by something that crossed my mind it’s all.”

“If you need to talk, I’ll be here to listen.”

“I know.” He said, and with that Kou got out of the car and walked towards the bar where he would demand Akihito to treat them to drinks to make up for worrying them so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed the chapter even if it is a bit emotionally heavy. But, at least there is hope in the horizon, right? Let me know what you think of the chapter and your guess at what will happen next.
> 
> Setsuna


End file.
